Walter w



(No Model.)

W. W. WBSTRUP & G. T. LANTAFF.

ROLLER MILL.

No. 384,408. Patented June 12, 1888.

' mike/fies N: P ET EHS, Phowuma grapher, Washington. D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER IV. \VESTRUP AND GEORGE T. LANTAFF, OF LOCKPOR'I, NEW YORK.

ROLLER-MILL.

SPECIFICATION fcrming part of Letters Patent No 384,408, dated June 12, 1888.

Application filed July 12, 1887.

To all whom it may concern.- v

Be it known that we, WALTER W. Wesr 'RUP and GEORGE T. LANTAFF, both of Lockport, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement. in Roller Mills, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide the casing or hopper which receives the reduced material from the grinding or crushing rollers with an automatic relief-valve, which will permit the material to escape from the re ceiving-hopper in case the discharge-opening of the hopper becomes, clogged or choked. This sometimes occurs, for instance, when the conveyer or elevator whereby the material is removed from thehopper becomes inoperative, thereby obstructing the discharge-opening of the hopper and causing the material to rise in the hopper and interfere with the free work ing of the grinding-rollers.

The object of our invention is to avoid this difficulty; and it consists to that end of the improvements which will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a sectional elevation of a roller-mill provided with our improvement. Fig. 2 is asectional elevation of the relief-valve and its operating mechanism on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section thereof in line or m, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end view of the mechanism whereby the relief-valve is actuatad.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the supporting frame of the roller-mill; B, the grinding or crushing rollers; G, the inclosing casing provided above the rollers with afeed-hopper, D, and below the rollers with a receiving hopper, E, having at its lower end a discharge-opening, e, which is connected with a conveyer-trough, elevator, or other discharge device in any well-known or suitable manner.

f represents an opening formed in one side of the receiving-hopper E below the rollers, and G is the reliefvalve which closes said opening. The latter is provided on the outer side of the hopper with a. discharge-spout, g. The relief-valve G is pivoted with its upper end to the outer side of the receiving hopper E,

Serial No. 241,063.

(No model.)

G, near the lower end thereof, and provided with a hook or nose, It, at its inner end, which projects into the hopper E through the openingf.

I represents a horizontal locking-lever arranged within the receiving-hopper E below the grinding-rollers B, and pivoted at or near its center to the upper end of a standard, j, which is secured to a bracket or support, J, in the hopper E. The locking-lever Iis provided at its outer end with a hook or nose, 2', which engages over the hook h of the catch H, and whereby the relief-valve G is held in a closed position, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2. e

As shown in the drawings, the catch H is pivoted to the valve G and provided at its outer end with a weight, h, which tends to raise the inner end of the catch and hold it in a horizontal position against the upper edge of the opening in the valve G, in which the catch plays. Upon releasing the catch H the valve G can be readily opened, when desired, to inspect the material in the receiving-hopper.

It represents a laterally-extending plate secured to the inner arm of the lever I and arranged below the adjacent grinding-faces of the rollers B. The plate kisinclined or curved downwardly on opposite sides of the lever I, as represented in Fig. 4, so as to prevent the material from lodging on the plate asit comes from the grinding-rollers.

The outer end of the lever I, which carries the book 1', is made of such a weight as to slightly overbalance the inner end of the lever to whiclrthe plate la is secured, thereby causing its hook ito remain in engagement with the catch H in the normal operation of the machine. The weight h, at the outer end of the catch H, assists in holding the latter in engagement with the locking-lever.

Z Z represent vertical posts or stops arranged below the lover I on opposite sides of the standard J, and whereby the movement of the lever I is limited. The lower ends of the posts Z Z are screw-threaded and arranged in threaded openings in the bracket or support J, s0.

that these steps can be raised or lowered, if desired, for regulating the movement of the lever.

m represents a guard-plate secured to the inner side of the relief-valve G, and having its loweredge arranged contiguous with the lower edge of the openingf, so as to shed the material which falls on this plate and prevent it from lodging againsttheinnerside ofthe valve.

\Vhen the discharge opening e of thereceivinghopperE becomes clogged or choked from any eause-for instance, by an accident to the discharge conveyer or elevatorthe material accumulates in the hopper. As the level of the accumulating material risesin the hopper, it reaches the lower edges of the plate It. The latter now prevents the material from passing directly underneath the plate, as the flow of the material is controlled by the angle of gravity, whereby a completely empty space is left underneath the plate, while the material continnes to accumulate on the sides and top of the plate as its level rises above the latter. \Vhen the weight of the material resting on the plate 7; overcomes the weight of the outer end of the lever I and theresistanee of the material underneath the edges of the plate, itdepresses the inner end of the lever, thereby raising the outer end of thelever, disengaging the hook ifrom thehook h of the catch H, and permitting the reliel valve G to swing outwardly away from the openingf, as represented in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The material in thehopperis now discharged through the openingf, whereby the material is prevented from rising any higher in the hopper and interfering with the free operation of the'rollers. After the obstruction has been removed from the dischargeopening oflhe receiving-hopper, the valve G is again closed by moving the same inwardly against the openingf and engaging the catch H with the lockinglever I.

Ne claim as our invention- 1. The combination, with the rollers and the receiving-hopper arranged below the same and provided with a relief-opening in its side aboveits discharge-opening, of a valve applied to said opening, a locking-lever arranged in the hopper, whereby the valve is held normally closed, and a. releasing-plate arranged below the rollers, whereby the lever is automatically unlocked when the material accumulates in the hopper, substantially as set forth.

2. The combinatiomwith the receivinghopper provided at its lower end with a dischargeopening, 6, and at its side with an opening,f, of a valve, G, applied to said opening and pro vided with a pivoted catch, H, and a locking lever, I, arranged within the receiving-hopper, and provided at one end with a hook adapted to engage with said catch and at its opposite end with a plate, k, substantially as set forth.

3. Theconibination, with thereceiving-hopper provided at its lower end with a discharge opening, (2, and at its side with an opening,f, ot' a valve, G, applied to said opening and provided with a pivoted catch, H, and a locking lever, I, arranged within the receiving-hopper and provided at one end with a hook adapted to engage with said catch and at its opposite end with a plate, Ia, and adjustable stops Z Z, whereby the movement of the looking-lever is limited, substantially as set forth.

wVitness our hand this 27th day of June, 1887.

\VALIER \V. \VESTRUP. GEO. T. LANTAFF.

\Vitnesses:

CARL F. GEYER, FRED G. GEYER. 

